An ambitious £4.7 million building project planned by the borough council has been revealed as a potential new crematorium.

References to the spend have cropped up recently in committee papers but the details of what the money was earmarked for have only now been released.

Council chiefs want to develop a site off the A47 Leicester Road between Hinckley and Earl Shilton into a place where local families can pay their last respects to loved ones.

Currently people who favour cremation over burial have to travel out of the borough. The nearest option is the privately owned Heart of England Crematorium in Nuneaton.

Run by national firm Dignity PLC the Eastboro Way centre has been listed as one of the most expensive places in the country to be cremated, at £999.

In a recent survey by funeral care website Beyond, Dignity operated 17 out of 20 of the crems which charged the most. The fees compared what an adult resident could expect to pay inside of normal operating hours on a weekday.

With the new facility being owned and run by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council it would offer a local service to local people and bring in extra revenue.

The new complex could also result in reducing travelling and waiting times - an important factor when families are grieving and already going through great distress.

Councillor Mike Hall, leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council

Council leader, Cllr Mike Hall, said: “With over 70% of people choosing cremations over a burial this is an important service for us to provide locally.

“Maintaining cemeteries can be very expensive, but operating a crematorium could actually produce a profit for the council, and every penny of that would be ploughed back into improving local services.”

Late last year the authority appointed a specialist company (Cemetery Development Services) to undertake a feasibility assessment for facility.

The feasibility study concluded there is sufficient demand for a crem at this location, noting that housing growth is estimated to further increase the demand for cremations in the next few years.

The facility would complement the council’s cemetery services, create jobs and enhance the appearance of the site, and would fit well with the burial services provided as a borough council.

The venture is outlined in the council’s medium term financial strategy among a number of priority capital projects including continued redevelopment of The Crescent, Green Spaces Delivery Plan and rural community assistance through the Developing Community Funds.